Cosmetic Dentistry
Bonding
Bonding is a common solution for:
- Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth
- Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth
- Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth’s surface
Often, composite bonding is used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth. Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth.
Composite bonding has many advantages:
- It is a quick process, which typically lasts less than one hour.
- It does not reduce the tooth’s original structure and is relatively inexpensive.
- Composite resins come in many different shades and provide better matching of shades to the natural color of your teeth.
- Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.
Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily. Common staining elements include coffee, tea, tobacco, foods and candy.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are thin, semi-translucent “shells” typically attached to your front teeth. They are customized from porcelain material that is bonded to your teeth. Porcelain veneers are a great alternative to otherwise painful dental procedures to improve the appearance of your smile.
Common problems that porcelain veneers are used for:
- Spaces between the teeth
- Broken or chipped teeth
- Unsightly, stained or discolored teeth
- Permanently stained or discolored teeth
- Crooked or misshapen teeth
Porcelain veneers are a great aesthetic solution to your smile that may even help you avoid orthodontic treatment. Subtle changes to your smile can be achieved with veneers, and in most cases, veneer application is completed in only two office visits.
One-Visit Porcelain Onlays and Crowns
Onlays
Porcelain onlays are indirect restorations. They are a great alternative to traditional metal fillings primarily because less of the tooth structure needs to be removed. Onlays are suitable for treating mild to moderate decay, and can be used to restore a cracked or fractured tooth if the damage is not extensive enough to require a crown. Generally, onlays cover a portion or the entire chewing surface.
The advantages of onlays include:
- Since they are fabricated from tooth-colored materials, porcelain onlays are aesthetically pleasing. Unlike traditional fillings, the restoration is virtually invisible.
- Less removal of the tooth structure is required to achieve optimal results.
- They do not cause excessive wear and tear to opposing tooth structures.
- Onlays prevent the need for more significant treatment in the future.
Crowns
A crown is a custom-made covering that fits over an original tooth that is decayed, damaged, cracked, or even cosmetic purposes.
Teeth Whitening
Everyone wants a bright, white smile. Teeth whitening services are growing in popularity, and it's one of the most requested services offered by our practice. Everyone sees the growing consumer market focused on whiter teeth. We offer different choices in bleaching treatments. After we thoroughly examine your teeth and gums to make sure whitening is an appropriate option, you can choose the one that is best for you, and then let us help you get started on a whiter, brighter smile.
Zoom! In-Office Whitening
Our goal is to meet the needs of every patient, and every patient's needs are different. Restoring your natural white smile is a priority for our dental team. One of the methods we use is the Zoom! In-Office Whitening System. A specially designed light activates the Zoom! Whitening Gel to gently break down stains on your teeth to put the sparkle back in your smile in just under one hour!
Custom Fit Whitening Trays
We also have the option of a home whitening system that will safely lighten stains, giving you a whiter, brighter smile. The process virtually erases stains and brightens your teeth, without damaging your tooth enamel or your gums. For at-home whitening, we first take impressions of your teeth to make models. Using these models, we make a personalized whitening tray that fits tightly over your teeth, allowing us to achieve optimum results. At home, you'll fill the tray with the whitening gel and place the tray over your teeth, keeping it in place for about 30 minutes each day. Typically, you'll begin to see results in just days!
Professional Strength Whitestrips
These are a great alternative to the Crest Whitestrips sold in stores because they are professional strength, containing a higher percentage of whitening. They are pre-filled and disposable, and only have a wear time of about 30-60 minutes each day.
Invisalign®
Invisalign® straightens your teeth without wires and brackets, using a series of clear, customized, removable appliances called aligners. It's virtually undetectable, which means hardly anyone will know that you're straightening your teeth.
